Budget Committee
Ohio · IRN 046243 · Clark County

Tecumseh Local School District

District briefing, fall 2026: enrollment, achievement, finances, property taxes and the levy record.

On the ballot · November 3, 2026

Tecumseh Local School District: one referendum question

Renewal levy

Renewal levy of 1.31 mills, 5 years for current operating expenses.

Summary of the issue’s terms; the official ballot wording had not been published when this briefing was built. Source: OSBA levy database (pre-election list)

Enrollment
2,503
2025-26
Performance index
80.3
2025-26
Graduation
96.7%
class of 2025
Spending / pupil
$14,417
2024-25
State share
60%
2024-25
Unreserved balance
41.8%
FY2026
Residential mills
27.2
tax year 2025
Home value
−27%
5-yr avg vs. 12 nearby districts
Enrollment

2,503 students in 2025-26, down from a peak of 3,402 in 2007-08; −10.1% over five years against −5.4% for the regional peer median.

Achievement

Performance index 80.3 of 120 in 2025-26 (Ohio median 88.3); 3.0 stars overall; four-year graduation 96.7%.

Spending

$14,417 per pupil in operating spending (2024-25), below the peer median of $15,289; the state supplies 60% of revenue and local taxes 24%.

Reserves

$16.49 million in general-fund cash at the end of FY2026; the unreserved balance was 41.8% of spending (Ohio median 36.2%).

Property taxes

27.24 effective residential mills for current expenses in 2026 (Ohio median 24.39).

Students

66% economically disadvantaged, 9% English learners, 19.0% with disabilities (2024-25).

Tecumseh enrolled 2,503 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 3,402 in 2007-08. Since 2006-07 it has changed −22.0%, against −15.9% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

TecumsehRegional peers (median)Ohio districts (median)
1091019283752006-072010-112014-152018-192025-26

Students

MeasureTecumsehPeers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Economically disadvantaged66%59%47%79th2024-25
English learners8.9%2.2%2.4%88th2024-25
Students with disabilities19.0%16.5%16.1%79th2024-25
Black0.5%3.5%3.4%2nd2024-25
Hispanic18.0%4.5%4.2%95th2024-25
White77.2%79.1%88.7%24th2024-25
Multiracial3.9%7.4%4.4%42nd2024-25

Districts that serve free meals to every student report every student as economically disadvantaged. For the 123 Ohio districts where that raised the share by 25 points or more to 95% or above in one year, this briefing uses the district’s last share before the rise (for Tecumseh, 66% from 2023-24).

Where resident students go

Since 2021-22 the state pays community schools, EdChoice private schools and open-enrollment districts directly, so these students no longer appear as deductions in Tecumseh’s budget, but the district still receives no state aid for them and, for most private and charter students in grades K–8, must provide or pay for transportation.

MeasureTecumsehRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Resident students in district schools2,3672,6701,18076th2025-26
Resident students on EdChoice802956156th2025-26
Resident students in community (charter) schools1201063982nd2025-26
Resident students open-enrolled elsewhere1191809760th2025-26

Community

MeasureTecumsehRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Median household income$68,193$78,314$73,77839th2020–24 ACS
Poverty rate13.9%9.9%9.9%72nd2020–24 ACS
Adults with a bachelor's degree15.8%26.0%21.9%23rd2020–24 ACS
Median home value$158,200$201,350$196,40026th2020–24 ACS

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Tecumseh averaged $125,720, 27% below the median of the 12 districts within 25 miles ($171,170). That ranks 11th of 13 in the area and at the 19th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

ACS 5-year releaseTecumsehNearby medianDifferenceOhio median
2016–20$101,300$143,450−29%$142,600
2017–21$106,300$152,250−30%$149,100
2018–22$124,600$169,850−27%$167,700
2019–23$138,200$187,950−26%$182,500
2020–24$158,200$201,350−21%$196,400
Five-release average$125,720$171,170−27%$167,900

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, median value of owner-occupied homes (table B25077), in nominal dollars. Consecutive releases share four of their five survey years, so the average is a smoothed level rather than five independent years. Nearby districts are those whose NCES office address lies within 25 miles of Tecumseh's: Vandalia-Butler (11 mi, $195,080); Troy (14 mi, $194,500); Miamisburg (24 mi, $194,080); Clark-Shawnee (12 mi, $183,840); Northeastern Local (Clark) (14 mi, $173,380); Greenon (4 mi, $172,720); Greeneview (22 mi, $169,620); Fairborn (6 mi, $163,440); Huber Heights (8 mi, $145,900); Urbana (19 mi, $145,160); Piqua (20 mi, $125,300); Mad River (12 mi, $123,280).

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Report Card and District Profile (Cupp) Report; U.S. Census ACS 5-year. Student characteristics compare with the peers; enrollment, school choice and community figures with the regional peers: Piqua, Mad River, Urbana, Vandalia-Butler, Troy, Miamisburg, Clark-Shawnee, Northeastern Local (Clark), Greeneview, Huber Heights, Fairborn and Greenon.

Tecumseh’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 80.3 in 2025-26, against 83.8 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (21st percentile).

TecumsehPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
94888175682014-152016-172018-192020-212022-232025-26
MeasureTecumsehPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Performance index (of 120)80.383.8regional 84.888.321st2025-26
Performance index, % of maximum72.8%76.0%regional 77.0%80.1%21st2025-26
Math proficient50.1%58.2%regional 56.2%63.5%20th2025-26
Four-year graduation rate96.7%97.0%regional 94.3%97.2%42ndClass of 2025
Chronically absent21.2%19.8%regional 20.3%16.4%70th2025-26
Overall rating (stars)3.03.5regional 3.54.015th2025-26
TecumsehPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
99%95%91%88%84%2013-142015-162017-182019-202021-222024-25

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Report Card. No state tests in 2019-20; star ratings began in 2022-23.

Tecumseh spent $14,417 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $15,289 for the peer median and $16,580 for the median Ohio district. Ohio’s formula assumes each district can raise a local share based on its property values and residents’ incomes; the state supplied 60% of Tecumseh’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $16.49 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 41.8% of a year’s spending.

TecumsehPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
$17,505$15,115$12,726$10,337$7,9482010-112014-152018-192024-25
TecumsehPeers (median)Ohio districts (median)
53%40%26%13%0%FY2014FY2016FY2018FY2020FY2022FY2024FY2026
MeasureTecumsehPeer medianregional beneathOhio (median)PercentileYear
Operating spending per pupil$14,417$15,289regional $15,858$16,58016th2024-25
Revenue per pupil$16,350$16,664regional $16,381$18,15023rd2024-25
State share of revenue60%44%regional 39%43%88th2024-25
Local share of revenue24%37%regional 47%42%13th2024-25
Federal share of revenue11%11%regional 8%6%81st2024-25
General-fund cash, end of year$16.49 million$15.65 millionregional $14.97 million$8.3 million78thFY2026
Unreserved balance, % of spending41.8%27.1%regional 31.4%36.2%65thFY2026
Average teacher salary$67,123$70,263regional $70,740$69,16339th2024-25
Property value per pupil$157,818$225,672regional $247,951$267,1977th2023-24

ODEW District Profile (Cupp) Report; five-year forecast actuals (general operating funds, cash basis) as filed with ODEW.

Ohio’s H.B. 920 reduction factors cut the effective rate of voted levies as property values rise, so most levies raise a fixed number of dollars and districts must return to voters to keep pace; no district’s effective current-expense rate can fall below 20 mills. Tecumseh’s effective residential rate was 27.24 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

MeasureTecumsehRegional peers (median)Ohio (median)PercentileYear
Effective residential millage, current expenses27.2428.2924.3967thTax year 2025
Effective business millage, current expenses29.2832.8026.5861st2024-25
Total voted operating millage33.7746.8741.8732nd2024-25
Median property tax on owner-occupied homes$1,913$2,480$2,22838th2020–24 ACS
As a share of household income2.8%3.3%3.1%38th2020–24 ACS

Past school tax issues

Tecumseh has put 7 school tax issues to voters since 2016; 6 passed and 1 failed. Statewide, the Ohio School Boards Association records 2,342 school tax issues from 2016 through May 2026; 66% passed, and 39% of new-money issues.

ElectionIssueResultYes vote
May 2025Emergency (renewal), 7 millsPassed70.76%
Nov 2024Permanent improvement (renewal), 4 millsPassed55.32%
Nov 2024Substitute (substitute - renewal), 7 millsFailed40.96%
Nov 2021Emergency (renewal), 2.13 millsPassed64.6%
Nov 2019Permanent improvement (renewal), 4 millsPassed64.4%
Nov 2019Emergency (renewal), 7.41 millsPassed63.66%
Nov 2016Emergency (renewal), 2.54 millsPassed61.54%

Ohio School Boards Association school election results (unofficial), 2016–2026.

Ohio Department of Taxation and ODEW District Profile Report (effective millage); U.S. Census ACS 5-year; Ohio School Boards Association election results.

Wherever this briefing sets Tecumseh beside other districts, it uses the groups below. A group figure is the middle value across its members, each counted equally, so one large member cannot dominate it.

Peers 12 districts

The 12 Ohio districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) most like Tecumseh on four equally weighted factors: total enrollment (compared as a ratio), operating spending per pupil, students per teacher and the share of economically disadvantaged students, each difference scaled by how much the factor varies across districts, and none more than two standard deviations away on any one. The group starts with nearby districts that match closely (within half a standard deviation on average) and fills the rest from anywhere in the state. Peers carry the achievement, spending and staffing comparisons.

DistrictCountyMilesEnrollmentOperating spending per pupilStudents per teacherEcon. disadvantaged
Vandalia-ButlerMontgomery112,850$15,43317.546.8%
Mad RiverMontgomery123,660$16,03117.667.6%
TroyMiami143,728$15,04216.841.9%
UrbanaChampaign191,655$16,91716.560.0%
PiquaMiami202,840$17,51816.164.8%
BellefontaineLogan332,166$14,15417.359.0%
GreenvilleDarke362,169$15,62415.855.9%
Western BrownBrown612,495$14,04917.263.5%
DefianceDefiance962,251$14,72315.964.0%
NorwalkHuron1172,338$14,79016.857.9%
MariettaWashington1391,932$15,30416.056.0%
Indian CreekJefferson1761,838$15,27315.869.4%

Regional peers 12 districts

The 12 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of Tecumseh, straight line between district offices, whose profile on the same four factors is comparable: on average within one standard deviation. They carry enrollment, property taxes and home values, and their median sits beneath the peer median elsewhere. A district in both groups appears in both lists.

DistrictCountyMilesEnrollmentOperating spending per pupilStudents per teacherEcon. disadvantaged
GreenonClark41,500$13,35118.353.7%
FairbornGreene64,096$16,00915.997.4%
Huber HeightsMontgomery85,344$15,70618.264.2%
Vandalia-ButlerMontgomery112,850$15,43317.546.8%
Mad RiverMontgomery123,660$16,03117.667.6%
Clark-ShawneeClark121,546$16,29317.051.1%
Northeastern Local (Clark)Clark142,784$13,87518.443.7%
TroyMiami143,728$15,04216.841.9%
UrbanaChampaign191,655$16,91716.560.0%
PiquaMiami202,840$17,51816.164.8%
GreeneviewGreene221,198$14,13316.841.5%
MiamisburgMontgomery244,627$16,20216.550.7%

“Ohio median” is the middle value across Ohio’s city, local and exempted-village school districts; career centers and community schools are left out.